Arsenal 2-1 Aston Villa: by the numbers

7 – Giroud shots¹3 – Giroud shots on goal¹1 – Andreas Weimann shot1 – Andreas Weimann shot on goal²1 – Andreas Weimann goal²1 – Szczocking errors by Szczesny to allow Weimann to score¹6 – Cazorla shots2 – Cazorla shots on goal2 – Cazorla goals¹92 – Passes attempted by Wilshere¹78 – Passes completed by Wilshere¹51 – Passes attempted by Wilshere in the Villa final third¹42 – Passes completed by Wilshere in the Villa final third¹5 – Chances created by Andreas Weimann (passes that led to a shot for a temmate)¹4 – Chances created by each of Walcott or Cazorla²3 – Chances created by Arsenal which rolled slowly across the Villa box but which no one got a boot on to take a shot so they don’t actually count as “chances created”1 – Assists by Nacho Monreal0 – Assists by Andre Santos in 23 League games for Arsenal4 – Successful dribbles by each of Wilshere and Lowton¹ (both of 5 attempts too!)3 – Successful tackles by each of Lowton, Jenkinson, Diaby, and Monreal¹5 – Attempted tackles by Lowton and Jenkinson¹3 – Attempted tackles by Diaby and Monreal7 – Interceptions by Arteta¹33 – Yes, you read that right, Arteta had 33% of Arsenal’s total interceptions6 – Bennett and Lowton interceptions (each)²70 – Yes, you read that right Lowton and Bennett had 70% of Villa’s interceptions

Words

As you can see, Arsenal have their third consecutive League win and third consecutive League match with a high rate of overall hustle. Three matches ago Arsenal played Stoke and as you can see from the chart, most of the challenges were aerial duels (yellow) and tackles (blue) were very low. But the last two League games have been fairly consistent in terms of challenges made and won across the three categories I am tracking this season (tackles, aerials, and dribbles). Bottom line is that Arsenal are working hard and getting results in the League.

If you remember from my column following the Bayern match, Arsenal had a similar number of tackles to today (19) but the difference is that Bayern outhustled Arsenal with 28 tackles and 30 interceptions, stifling Arsenal’s midfield — especially when Arsenal tried to get penetration. Villa didn’t work as hard as they needed to today and as a result, Arsenal got a lot of joy in the Villa final third, creating 22 shots off passes compared to the rather poor 8 Arsenal managed against Bayern.

It’s also notable that Cazorla’s brace makes him joint leader (with Walcott) at Arsenal with 11 League goals. He is tied with Walcott with those 11 goals but he’s taken 82 shots to get there. That’s 7.9 shots per goal. It’s not a horrible rate, Suarez is 8.4 shots per goal in League play, and he’s a midfielder who shoots from outside the box so it’s nothing to cry over.

Giroud, on the other hand, is going through a poor patch in front of goal. He hasn’t scored (or assisted) for Arsenal since the draw against Liverpool and as a consequence his shots per goal number has climbed to 9. It’s a run of 22 shots without a goal (7 tonight) and we have to hope that he can get back to form for Arsenal. Of course, he does a lot more than just shoot and I think his movement today was excellent, he just needs a little luck I think.

So your response to James’ amusement at Giroud’s gestures is to advise him to commit suicide through self-immolation…

Aren’t you a peach. Get some perspective.

In general, the comments on Arseblog News reflect a deep animosity / aggressive violence towards anyone who offers any criticism of the team, no matter how genial, honest, or in fact true.

It’s true, for instance, that Giroud missed many chances today, and as a result he did his trademark gestures in frustration. The numbers prove that he’s not finishing as well as he could or used to. But if you bring that up in the comments, or discuss his reaction (even if in a failed attempt at humor), you get thumbed down and insulted.

How insecure do you have to be to turn on anyone who doesn’t blindly cheerlead? Does it so offend your one, myopic idea of what it means to be a fan?

I think lily missed the critical point that having a stick up your ass or sand in your vagina would be irritating, thus making you an easily irritated person. As such the insult was not abut having a vagina, rather having one with sand in it. Perhaps the author also implies that women are mo easily irritated than men, but its a stretch since he also includes the stick up the ass possibility, thus i find it hard to pin this comment on misongyny.

Your suggestions that he immoliate himself might suggest you’ve got your panties all in a bunch, if you just straighten them out you’ll be less irritated

Wow, ok, this has grown out of hand… I thought he was being unnecessarily negative. If he says he’s not, then so be it I guess. I even went as far as to tease him about getting banned for the Gallic thing.

Let’s just try to enjoy a win and not let things escalate to… you know… self-immolation 🙂

Agreed, punching the air ain’t gonna help Olivier. Watch video of Lionel Messi just after one of those (rare) occasions he fluffs a shot off-target. Messi puts his head down, scratches his hair, and CONTEMPLATES why he fluffed that one and CALCULATES how he can do better next time.

Hi lily..
The whole vagina thing is basically insulting enough for women. Fair enough
But never seen a lad being so sensitive about reading or even being called a “dick”. Hope you understand where i am coming from..

Ramsey literally did not put a foot wrong. Passes on point and positive, moved the ball well, even played a bit of right back and worked hard there. Only disappointment if I had to be really critical was that he should have been back to defend their goal, but that’s on everyone really.

Was really hoping Giroud would simplify his game, or that wenger would ask them to do so during half time. He always seemed to look for the fancy lay away or tight through pass, not to say that he never took the simpler options, but it just seemed like most of his choices seemed fancy and/or complicated. Still, brilliant hold up play. And diaby was much much better, pace still not as telepathic but much better vision

Yeah some really good balls from Diaby but he stills tends to slow the game down quite a bit when he’s on the ball. I reckon after a few more games he should be back to the right tempo. Jenks was great today, could happily live with Agbonlahor for pace and strength, and his celebration on the bench just about made my fucking day.

Call me crazy but listen to this…..
We are 5th with 47 points. 1 behind the mugs and 2 behind the chavs but they play tomorrow against 2nd place city who are 6 points ahead of us. If the mugs lose on Monday away to west ham and the chavs lose or draw tomorrow then next weeks game against the mugs could be a very tasty one indeed coz if we beat them we end up on 50 points and either 1 in front of the chavs or level points. And also put us 4 or 6 behind city! Now we are all but out of the champions league (fingers crossed we smash those Germans to bits) and then we only have the league to focus on! We could finish 2nd this season!! If city have a shit run and united lose a couple we could be back in the title race although very unlikely but at this point in time I’ll take 2nd place all day long!!!!! 3rd last year, 2nd this year… £70million+ to spend in summer, new players in, squillaci, arshavin, Sagna, bendtner, Denilson, Chamakh and other shit all out. Next season could be the one! Defense got to tighten up and forwards gotta start scoring. This season might not turn out as bad as we think. It’s only wishful thinking and a lot of optimism but hey… I’m a gooner!!! COME ON YOU GUNNERS

Such a clear gap between sagna and jenks. We all love Carl to bits and you can see from his movement that he knows the drills and makes the right runs, but i cannot in my mind recall even once where he made a decisive run forward, a successful overlap which drags his marker out to create space or any incisive run ins. He makes the movements, no doubt, but it almost always ends in a side or back pass to one of the creators. Will be good to see how he develops with that understanding in place with another year or 2 of practise

Well if you give citeh’s game in hand as a win, the difference is 9 points. Not a couple, is it? The point is that we are slowly slipping down the league and leaving it later and later each season. If we don’t finish outside the CL this season you can bet we will next season at this rate.

Admirable optimism, but I’m concerned that our form and confidence doesn’t seem to be improving. Brittle defence at home against an inexperienced team like Villa is worrying ahead of Spuds, Everton and Bayern.

Yeah and if Alex Ferguson gets abducted by space aliens, Gareth Fail passes into his own net in the 1st, 45th and 87th minute, we steal Dr. Emmet Brown’s DeLorean and go back in time to the first Man City game and put that game to bed like we should have done, then go forward in time to the Chelsea game and don’t let in shitty goals, then go back to the future we might win the league!

Mate how do you do that?..at this rate you’d predict a league and cup double if we beat toffees and tinnys by any chance (although it would be great).
Lets just waite untill we’ve secured our champs league run out for next season.

The continued propaganda against Arsenal is just getting embarrassing now, Alan Hansen has been doing this for years, every year he has an issue with us. Foreign players, youth players, scoring fancy goals etc etc

yes liverpool are exciting and going foward everytime they win ,spurs are top class , chav have world class player everywhere, we are doooooooooooooom still the league table even with all our problem dont look bad, with a little luck in our result we could be 3rd next sunday :^^…cmon city and westham

Ok well if Sagna stays then he will have to accept now that he will be 2nd choice to Jenkinson because his inconsistency is costing us this season and I hate to use that word because up until this season he’s probably been our most consistent defender over the past 5-6 years.

Dunno if you have been paying attention, but it was barely a week ago that Jenkinson got sent off, which cost us the game against Sunderland. Oh no wait, it didn’t cost us the game, because of a certain other right-back who played out of position and put in a heroic performance to enable us to hold out for the win. Who was that man, I wonder?

Jenks is promising, and at the moment is a good backup but that’s about it. Sagna has been consistently the best right back in the league since he arrived. He may have gone through a rough patch recently, after enduring two leg breaks, but it’s too soon to write off a player of such high calibre.

Sorry I can not agree wit the claim that Giroud’s movement was excellent a striker with Excellent movement ether moves to open up space for a deeper player to run into (not clogging up the middle) OR they are somehow always seem to be in the right time and have the right touch to simply slot the ball in to the net. SO ether 2 things if Giroud’s movement is great then the rest of the team’s passing and crosses MUST REALLY REALLY suck. or he should have had a abundance of opportunities to score because we had a ton of pressure but few final results.

In fact I feel THAT more then anything is the problem a combination of both poor movement and inaccurate and slow passing or simply attempting the wrong pass altogether or taking up the wrong positions or making the wrong runs. many times other players where in the same position and Monreal was but unlike him they just lobed the ball in the general direction of the front of the goal instead of actually picking out a Arsenal player. or a spot that a Player was moving to. RVP had good movement because he would make a cutting run and make sure he was there when the ball was cut in (and he needed one touch to score) I do not blame any one individual they all are to blame

Seems a bit more than off the pace lately, his constant injuries worries and consequent lack of a run of games can’t be helping his progress. Don’t really know how long Wenger can continue to let this go on, despite his love for the guy. It sucks because its not down lack of effort from Diaby, just that he seems to be made of glass.

I already posted on the match report how happy I am with the 3 points. And I am anytime The Arsenal grabs maximum points you can color me a happy bloke.

However, we (Arsene, Gazidis, the Board, Kroenke) have got to make it a point to become more ruthless in the summer. Signings is one thing, but seriously folks the dead wood has got to be gone. Cut the losses and sell. I noticed today in the 74th Wenger looked very disturbed as he turned back to the bench, and frustrated. Because the only option left was Podolski.

We have GOT to get this sorted. Diaby, am sorry but you can’t stay healthy and it’s nothing personal, but we can’t afford this anymore. Gervinho, Arshavin, Squillaci, Chamakh….all, have to go. We can’t continue to tax the players like Sagna, Wilshere, Walcott, Arteta, Giroud and Merts like we are. I know Jenks is the for Sagna, and we got Monreal for Gibbs. But the rest. Sorry guys, appreciate your service but it’s time. It’s just not good enough.

I desperately hope we stay healthy and the likes of the players I mentioned suffer no further setbacks, because it then becomes a major problem.

The worst what?? This is a blog for opinions, not for little boys to leave cheeky comments at 4:11 AM, just to let everyone know their mummy let them stay up late…ps when you left the commont, did you have a little giggle to yourself???

There’s a sad predictability about this Arsenal side. Sorry to be so negative after a win but that’s my overriding feeling today.

It’s quite a sad day when someone like me who knows absolutely *fuck all* about football like me can predict what is going to happen. We scored early, and I was expecting us to miss a whole host of chances. Of course we did. Then, I was disgusted but not all that surprised when in their rare forays forward Aston Villa were 3-on-3 or 3-on-4 against Arsenal players despite the fact that we were controlling the game. This has become a normal occurrence.

Sorry to compare to the following twats, but if Man U or Mourinho’s Chelsea had a 1-0 lead you would NEVER find the opposition having even a sniff of a chance down the other end with a 3-on-3. I know we are an attacking side, so I understand why it’s happening, but if you play the same tactics as the invincibles with a squad of Giroud/Henry, Walcott/Ljungberg, Cazrola/Pires (fair play-ish), Diaby/Vieira, Wilshere/Bergkamp (dodgy comparison but … who else), you are not playing to your strengths because (with the exception of Cazorla and Wilshere) none of those players are anywhere near that calibre. I think we should be protecting that lead a little more. But that fills me with dread because if we try to defend we could have 22 defenders out there but it makes little difference. I always remember when we take off a defender and play four strikers it makes very little difference to our defence.

Wenger obviously has massive faith in his players, and believes they can play in his invincible philosophy. He is on the training ground every day so he knows a fuck of a lot more than I. And it’s easy to sit on the sofa and criticise a team going through an awful run. But, as far as the defense is concerned, it has been a problem for at least five years. I remember in around 2006 when this was a similar problem. We barely finished above Spurs. It was in their hands! And at this time our defense was also appalling. It is now 7 years later and remains similar. Hell, last year – Eboue and co. were a disaster.

We used to set records of excellence. In the last few years we have set records of embarrassing failure; being 4-0 up and drawing 4-4 with Newcastle. Conceding in the 102nd minute to Liverpool. Why oh why can’t this be rectified? 7 years. We have a lot of cash. It is unacceptable. As cunty as he is, can you imagine any team Mourinho manages to ever leak goals like we do? No, because he clearly has a good defensive formula (even if I would rather watch us fail in our philosophy than watch his successful one). I really am tired of this! When our attack *was* great (with Van Cuntie and Fabregas) it was consistently let down by our defence.

Please Wenger, sort the defence. It’s all I ask. I think this is our main problem and failing.

Anyways, that game? We were staring down a barrel. I refuse to contemplate finishing behind the fucking MUTANTS down the road. That can and never will happen. Arsenal, let’s fucking do this.

PS I am offended at Arsenal FC website’s post “We have money to spend now”. Well why the fuck didn’t you spend it in January? “We couldn’t find the right players” said Wenger. Okay, I saw our rivals bought no one too, but if you don’t spend some money this summer I will never ever trust you again!

I don’t get all the fuss about the sudden revelation that we’ve got £70 million to spend, the money has always been there, Arsene has just refused to spend it…Because it doesn’t suit his financial model for the club.

Enough bickering about the ‘V’ word! We got the 3 points FFS. Let’s all spread some vagasil on whichever parts of our bodies we see fit, and look forward to another 5-2 drubbing of 5pur2 at Shite Fart Lane on Sunday.